Inaugural inductees to the International Horror & Sci-Fi hall of fame
2009 HALL OF FAME
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CASPER VAN DIEN
Casper grew up as part of a military family in Ridgewood, New Jersey. When he and his family moved to Florida, he attended Admiral Farragut Academy where he graduated third in command. After attending Floriday State University, he moved to Hollywood to pursue an acting career. He found early success in recurring roles on Beverly Hills 90210 and the soap opera One Life to Live.
He jumped to leading man status when he starred as James Dean in the television biopic James Dean: Race with Destiny. He then landed his best-known role, as Captain Johnny Rico in Director Paul Verhoeven’s 1997 science-fiction film Starship Troopers. The film was a box-office smash, leading him to major roles in Tim Burton’s critically acclaimed film Sleepy Hollow (1999) and the title role as the “Lord of the Jungle” in the Warner Bros. film Tarzan and the Lost City (1998). He has also starred in over twenty other feature films, including The Omega Code with his wife Catherine Oxenberg. Since then, Catherine and Casper have worked together on several different projects and have formed a company together to produce socially responsible, quality family entertainment with the intention of uplifting and transforming people. He recently returned to the role of Johnny Rico in Starship Troopers 3: Marauder and is in development on the film Royal Exile: The Betrayal of Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, in which he wrote the script and is directing and producing the project.
Casper is devoted to many charitable causes, including Childhelp USA. This organization is devoted to stopping child abuse, and all proceeds from signings during his appearance at the International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival will be donated to this worthy cause located in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Starship Troopers
In a sardonic use of propaganda, young adults of the future are pressured by the government, authority figures and each other to volunteer for military service as a prerequisite to achieving full citizenship.
People have ventured off Earth and are beginning to colonize other star systems. When the insectile alien inhabitants of one such system react to colonization with a devastating attack on the Earth, humankind’s response is a fully fledged invasion and a policy of systematic elimination of the species. This policy is implemented by the high school leavers we have followed into their careers in the armed forces.
A love triangle between buddies, and their various paths toward violent glory and bloody tragedy, stitch together the grand-scale spectacle. |
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MARILYN BURNS
Marilyn Burns was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, and started acting in a bit part in Robert Altman’s Brewster McCloud. She was working at the Texas Film Commission while attending the University of Texas when she took part in a casting call for the role of Sally Hardesty in Tobe Hooper’s iconic horror film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) and was anointed a horror genre ‘Scream Queen.’ She followed Chainsaw with Tobe Hooper’s Eaten Alive (1976), where she played a vacationer who unwittingly stumbles upon a hotel run by a madman who feeds his guests to his pet alligator.
Marilyn continued her ‘Scream Queen’ status by starring such horror movies as Brutes and Savages (1977), Caution: Children at Play (1981), Kiss Daddy Goodbye (1981), and Future-Kill (1985). In 1976 she appeared in the major television miniseries Helter Skelter (1976). Her role as Linda Kasabian, the Charles Manson follower whose testimony helped lead to the convictions of the cult leader and many of his followers, was a
major hit.
She currently lives in Texas and acts and direct on stage. She appeared in a cameo for The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre in 1994 and was recently named one of the Ten Sexiest Scream Queens by Movifone.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Tobe Hooper’s influential cult classic continues the subgenre of horror films based on the life and “career” of Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein. When Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns) hears that the Texas cemetery where her grandfather is buried has been vandalized, she gathers her wheelchair-bound brother Franklin (Paul A. Partain) and several other friends together to see if grandpa’s remains are still in one piece. While in the area, Sally and her friends decide to visit grandfather’s old farmhouse. Unfortunately, a family of homicidal slaughterhouse workers who take their job home with them have taken over the house next door. Included amongst the brood is Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen), a chainsaw-wielding human horror show who wears a face mask made out of human skin. Sally’s friends are rapidly exterminated one-by-one by the next-door neighbors, leaving only Sally left to fight off Leatherface and his clan.
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JUDITH O'DEA
Judith O’Dea is an American actress known for her role as Barbra in the George A. Romero film horror classic Night of the Living Dead (1968). Originally from Pittsburgh, she moved to Hollywood to pursue her acting career. Just as she settled into her new home, Producer Karl Hardman called her about a new film project he was working on, and the rest is history.
In addition to her best-known role, O’Dea has acted in theatre, television and radio over the last 35 years and has performed in such horror genre films as Serial Slayer, Claustrophobia, and Evil Deeds. She also appeared in The Pirate, November Son, The Ocean, October Moon and Women’s Studies.
Besides her acting career, O’Dea owns and operates O’Dea Communications. Drawing on her extensive entertainment experience, her firm deals in oral communications workshops, seminars and training for on-camera, professional and non-professional speakers across the country.
Night of the Living Dead
Over three decades after its release, George Romero’s low-budget, stomach-churning classic is still one of the greatest indie horror films ever made. Directed by Romero in 1968, Night of the Living Dead is an independent black-and-white zombie film. Ben (Duane Jones) and Barbra (Judith O’Dea) are the protagonists of a story about the mysterious reanimation of the recently dead, and their efforts, along with five other people, to survive the night while trapped in a rural Pennsylvania farmhouse. |
2008 HALL OF FAME
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ADRIENNE KING
Adrienne was born in and raised Oyster Bay, Long Island, did her first commercial when she was six months old, and has stayed at it with a brief hiatus or two ever since. She has also studied voice and dance, being continually involved in some phase of show business. She has done numerous television and radio commercials.
Adrienne is also a member of the Joseph Jefferson Theatre Company. Her professional credits include summer stock and off-Broadway productions including “W.H. Auden”. After the success of Friday the 13th (1980), she appeared in its sequel and then became a voice actress (with voice roles in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), While You Were Sleeping (1995), and many others). Her return to acting took place in 2008 with the science fiction/horror film Walking Distance (2009).
The Friday the 13th Phenomenon
One of the longest-running horror film series began with this gory shocker. Entrepreneur Steve Christie re-opens Camp Crystal Lake after many years during which it has been cursed by murders and bad luck. The young and nubile counselors all begin to die extremely bloody deaths at the hands of an unseen killer during a rainstorm which isolates the camp. Friday the 13th made over 20 million dollars at the box office and spawned numerous sequels.
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JEFFREY COMBS
Few actors living today are truly icons. Jeffrey Combs is that rare breed of actor who has secured himself a spot in film history. Many claim him as the modern- day Vincent Price. Bursting into the public consciousness with his riveting performance as Herbert West in the cult classic Re-Animator, over the years Jeffrey has carved out an enviable niche for himself as a true original.
Jeffrey, a native of the Central Coast region of California, spent years nurturing and honing his craft by attending acclaimed schools and working in regional theatre before pursuing film and television. He received his training at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts and the Actor’s Training Program at the University of Washington in Seattle. He spent years in regional theatre performing at such notable venues as the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, Arizona Theatre Company in Tucson, AZ, the California Shakespearean Company, the Mark Taper Forum and South Coast Repertory where, in 1983, he won an LA Drama Critics Award.
With over 50 feature films and countless television works under his belt, Jeffrey’s career spans a broad range of genres. However, he’s most widely recognized and dearly loved by fans of the Horror/ Sci-Fi genres. Along with Re-Animator, a few of his most beloved performances are his memorable portrayal of quirky FBI agent Milton Dammers in Peter Jackson’s The Frighteners, which earned him a Saturn Award nomination, his chilling performance as Dr. Richard Vannacutt in the Halloween box office champ House on Haunted Hill and his widely praised portrayal of Edgar Allan Poe in Stuart Gordon’s The Black Cat for Showtime’s Masters of Horror series. He starred with Rene Zellwegger in the indie film favorite Love and a .45 and acted opposite Jennifer Love Hewitt in the successful I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.
Jeffrey has worked continuously in television through the course of his career. From a guest spot on CSI to appearing regularly as Kevin Burkhoff on the popular series The 4400, he has over 30 credits in television. But without question Jeffrey is considered a mainstay in the Star Trek franchise. He has guest starred in close to 50 episodes spanning over three Star Trek series. He is the only actor to recur in two different roles in the same series. He portrayed Liquidator Brunt and the Vorta, Weyoun, on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He also recurred many times as the memorable Commander Shran on Star Trek: Enterprise.
Jeffrey’s career shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. As of this writing, he stars in 5 films yet to be released.
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2007 HALL OF FAME
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LINDA BLAIR
Academy Award Nominee, Golden Globe Winner and Winner of the People's Choice Award.
Internationally known for her portrayal of Regan, the fourteen-year-old girl in the movie, "The Exorcist", Linda Blair had already had a full career in modeling & commercials in NYC.
At the age of Five years, Linda worked as a model for such well-known stores as Sears, J.C. Penny's and Macy's. Her first commercial was for Downey fabric softener, which led to a career of over 75 commercials, ranging from Welch's Grape Jelly, Guldens Mustard, several Ivory Soap commercials, cereals and toys.
The Exorcist, which was released in December 1973, changed Linda's life forever. She made the TV movies: "Born Innocent", "Sarah T. Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic" (Linda won the AA Award for special contribution to this tragic problem) "Sweet Hostage" (with Martin Sheen) and "Summer of Fear" directed by Wes Craven. Her movie roles have ranged from "Roller Boogie" and starring with Richard Burton in "Exorcist II: The Heretic". Kirk Douglas & Elizabeth Taylor played her parents in "Victory at Entebbe".
Linda founded the Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation. Primarily, Worldheart rescues abandoned and abused animal companions from the harsh city streets and provides medical care, socialization, rehabilitation and ensures that the animals get a second chance at life as well as a forever, loving home. By utilizing, Ms. Blair’s status as a public figure, WorldHeart is able to bring attention to this growing problem.
Please take a moment to visit www.LindaBlairWorldHeart.org for more information.
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KEN FOREE
Born in Indiana, Ken Foree has been scaring us on the big screen for years. His family is noted for their academic and political achievements, so his entry into show biz was quite a surprise to his family members. He received formal acting training at the renowned Michael Shulman's Performing Gallery in New York.
Shortly after that he landed a guest starring role on TV's "Kojak". Then he landed the role of Peter Washington in George A. Romeros 1978 classic, Dawn of the Dead, which proved to be an enduring cult classic. In the 2004 Universal Pictures remake, Ken reprised his role of Peter Washington (The Televangelist).
Ken has quite a few other horror films to his credit which include The Dentist, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3, Rob Zombie’s The Devil’s Rejects and Rob Zombie’s Halloween just to name a few.
In addition to his horror roles, you saw a softer side of Ken in Nickelodeons hit show Keenan and Kel. His past guest starring television roles include The X-Files, General Hospital, Babylon 5 and Quantum Leap.
When Ken isn’t scaring us to death, he enjoys weightlifting, surfing, boxing, and watching Hoosier basketball. He also enjoys traveling and history.
Ken resides in Los Angeles.
Visit www.KenForee.com for more info and merchandise.
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TED V MIKELS
Ted V. Mikels, with his distinctive handlebar mustache and famed for his unorthodox lifestyle, is one of the most eccentric and endearing figures in the cult horror pantheon. In 1963, he directed his first feature, Strike Me Deadly.
The enterprising director explored various exploitation genres in films such as The Black Klansman, Agent for H.A.R.M., and The Girl in Gold Boots throughout the decade. Tura Satana, who had acted in Russ Meyer's cult classic Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1966) appeared in Mikels' first horror film, a disjointed affair called The Astro-Zombies. It quickly became one of the most beloved titles in the burgeoning cult for low-budget, laughably bad horror films. Mikels cemented his reputation among such other dubious trash luminaries as Andy Milligan, Ray Dennis Steckler, and Al Adamson with his best-known film, 1972's The Corpse Grinders.
The film's originality, risible production values, and unbelievably bad effects made it an instant trash classic, making it a grind-house staple for over a decade. After his next horror film, a tame, PG-rated occult effort with the wonderfully exploitative title Blood Orgy of the She-Devils (shot in his famous castle), Mikels' productivity fell and he turned to action films and television work again. For the next three decades, Mikels continued to work steadily, however, occasionally directing such moderately successful efforts as The Doll Squad and Ten Violent Women, but never again commanding the sort of attention he received in the late '60s and early '70s.
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2006 Hall of Fame
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MICK GARRIS
An accomplished writer/producer/director and creator of Showtime’s Masters of Horror series, Mick’s love of horror began at an early age, starting with writing horror fiction at the age of twelve. His many credits include Life on Death Row from Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories, Whirlpool from HBO’s Tales of the Crypt, Psycho IV and Critters 2.
With a career spanning over twenty five years, Mick is probably best known for his work with Stephen King and developing the bestselling author’s books for television. Beginning with 1992’s Sleepwalkers, Mick went on to direct one of the finest King adaptations ever, The Stand. His 1997 version of The Shining is claimed by King to be more faithful than the Kubrick film. 1997 also saw Quicksilver Highway starring Christopher Lloyd and is based on short stories by Clive Barker and Stephen King. His latest King adaptation is this year’s Desperation, a three hour mini-series for ABC starring Tom Skerritt.
Mick’s latest big screen movie is Riding the Bullet. He wrote the screenplay and directed this tale about a young hitchhiker on his way back home to see his dying mother. Along the way he is picked up by a mysterious stranger with a deadly secret. The story is based on an eBook by Stephen King. The film stars Jonathan Jackson, David Arquette, Cliff Robertson, Erika Christensen (Swimfan) and Barbara Hershey.
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2005 Hall of Fame
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TOBE HOOPER
Texas native Tobe Hooper went to the movies every day growing up in Austin,
and started making 8mm films with his high school buddies. Hooper was a student in the Department of Radio-Television-Film at Austin’s University of Texas and gained experience directing industrial films, documentaries and commercials.
He turned to the horror genre after his drama “Eggshells” about Vietnam veterans failed to attract attention, and his 1974 classic “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” would have an incredible cultural impact. Shot for $60,000 and based loosely on serial killer Ed Gein and the Hansel and Gretal fairy tale, Hooper’s incredible depictions of decay and depravity still shock audiences today. He followed up his success with the TV mini-series adaptation of Stephen King’s “Salem’s Lot”, the Steven Spielberg-produced “Poltergeist”, “Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2” and several projects for television, including the Showtime series “Masters of Horror”, working with Robert Englund.
The International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival welcomes Director Tobe Hooper into its’ Hall of Fame for his ability to shock audiences, and the impact of his incredible work, cited by several filmmakers as the inspiration for their career aspirations
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LLOYD KAUFMAN
Lloyd Kaufman is many things: producer, director, screenwriter, editor, composer, actor, and, above all, a renegade fighting against the further conglomeration and Homogenization of Hollywood. Kaufman is president and co-founder of Troma Entertainment, one of the last upholders of independent, low-budget fi lms. His work include “Class of Nuke ‘Em High “(1986) and “Tromeo and Juliet” (1996).
Just wrapping production, “Poultrygeist! Attack of the Chicken Zombies!” is destined to become another cult classic. Kaufman started making low-budget fi lms in school. He and long-time business partner Michael Herz launched Troma as a distribution company in the late 1970s for their distinct brand of fi lms. It has since grown to include a production company, a merchandising outlet, and in the late 1990s, a cable-television network. One of Kaufman’s best-known and best-loved fi lms is Toxic Avenger (1986), the bloody and terribly violent chronicle of a Long Island nerd’s revenge against the townsfolk who tormented him.
In the late 1990s, he recounted his experiences and offered advice to young independent filmmakers in his book “All I Need to Know About Filmmaking I Learned From the Toxic Avenger.” We welcome Lloyd Kaufman to the International Horror & Sci-Fi Hall of Fame for his importance to the horrror and science fiction genres and his devotion to independent filmmaking.
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